What are the current meal relief allowances/times??

[mancity1]

Where can I find out the exact policies from RM regarding meal relief allowances?

I'm seen posts on here copied and pasted from the 2000 agreement, are these still valid or have they been superseded, as there's a postie who has been on 32 hours for over 10 years who said his meal relief is 20 mins!!! And there's a postie of a year who also believes it's 20 mins for a 32 hours contract (and therefore claims) .


Is there info on the RM website, or a handbook for employees somewhere, which outline what we are entitled to as all I'm hearing is rumours about general policies like meal reliefs, and also RM's stance on carrying bags.

I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction as to where I can find this info as a returner to RM who may have missed some changes to conditions.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Where can I find out the exact policies from RM regarding meal relief allowances?

I'm seen posts on here copied and pasted from the 2000 agreement, are these still valid

Yes they are still valid

or have they been superseded, as there's a postie who has been on 32 hours for over 10 years who said his meal relief is 20 mins!!! And there's a postie of a year who also believes it's 20 mins for a 32 hours contract (and therefore claims) .

It's not the contracted hours that determine the breaks, but the number of hours you will be working on a particular day.

from the way forward agreement: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=11941


Conditioned attendances extended by overtime (or by SA on Sunday) consecutive with the beginning or end will attract additional breaks if the entitlement for the total attendance (overtime plus conditioned hours), in the table above, is greater than the breaks already scheduled during the conditioned attendance. For example, an 8 hour conditioned attendance with 4 hours overtime would attract an extra 20 minutes (i.e. 60 minus 40). In most cases, particularly if the additional break is for only 10 minutes, it should be taken between the period of overtime and the normal conditioned attendance.

Is there info on the RM website, or a handbook for employees somewhere, which outline what we are entitled to as all I'm hearing is rumours about general policies like meal reliefs, and also RM's stance on carrying bags.

RM policy should be that the equipment designated for a particular duty, or even a particular section of a duty is mandatory. That is you can use bags, trollies and CDVs as long as they are the designated way of delivering. Its not enforced in most offices though.

I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction as to where I can find this info as a returner to RM who may have missed some changes to conditions.

The downloads section on here has the vast majority of the agreements between the Union and Royal Mail. But there is no centralised or handbook that outlines them all.

[ted_e_bear]

As above reply, so your 32 HR posties if they do 5 days a week should be due 30mins per day assuming they don't attend longer than a 7hr day.
Don't forget also if its a busy day and they go over 7hrs then they're due an extra 10mins break.

[mancity1]

Thanks very much for the detailed reply.

I can't believe that in my office it appears management has never told the employees directly what they are entitled to, but rather rely on rumours/mis-information from the trainer/other employees!!

As I said, there's one postie who believes he's entitled to 20 mins on a 32 hours contract (always over 5 hours a day) .... he's believed and claimed for this for over 10 years because that what he must have been told mistakenly all those years ago and has never been corrected!!!

If Royal Mail are not giving new entrants a book about their entitlements then the CWU needs to give new employees a copy of their entitlements (meal relief, sick pay etc).

re: bags ... thanks, so bags over the shoulder are still acceptable on delivery? I'm currently taking out (or being expected to take) and carry heavy bags from an HCT for loops that were originally designed for a van round. If bags are acceptable then presumably weight limit of 11 kgs? And only carrying one bag, and not one 11kg bag and a lightweight bag as well with parcels??!!

Cheers

[clashcityrocker]

If bags are acceptable then presumably weight limit of 11 kgs? And only carrying one bag, and not one 11kg bag and a lightweight bag as well with parcels??!!

Cheers

No.
Bags should only be used when there is a genuine need - due to terrain or flats, with a max 8kg. (Though I have seen 5kg, it depends on the flats)
Bags on shoulders should not be used where the designated delivery method is a trolley (LWT or HCT)

[mancity1]

If bags are acceptable then presumably weight limit of 11 kgs? And only carrying one bag, and not one 11kg bag and a lightweight bag as well with parcels??!!

Cheers

No.
Bags should only be used when there is a genuine need - due to terrain or flats, with a max 8kg. (Though I have seen 5kg, it depends on the flats)
Bags on shoulders should not be used where the designated delivery method is a trolley (LWT or HCT)

Ah ... interesting! That's what a couple of longer-term employees said, but newer ones are carrying them to get done within time!! Interesting ... so only where an HCT won't go .. sounds logical. And what's what I'll do.

re: 'designated delivery method' is that for the whole round or different for various parts/addresses of the round? I'm going out with an HCT, does that mean that everything should be from the HCT except adverse terrain or flats?

By the way thanks for your earlier reply reiterating TrueBlueTerrier on meal relief ... like I said the CWU MUST make RM employees aware of their rights if RM are not!!!


Cheers

[robbertwhitton]

The whole thing is a bloody minefield and it shouldn’t be,people who want to get round and go don’t take them,and when you get pressured with lapsing etc there’s a whole cluster of examples what you can claim if you work and claim meal breaks,as with everything in this business loads of interpretations to suit every budget and level of management

[clashcityrocker]

re: 'designated delivery method' is that for the whole round or different for various parts/addresses of the round? I'm going out with an HCT, does that mean that everything should be from the HCT except adverse terrain or flats?

The HCT is designed to be pushed from delivery point to delivery point.
Where this isn't possible (terrain/flats - there is a Safe System of Work for the HCT in Downloads) the HCT should be chained to street furniture for no longer than 10 minutes.
Where practicable no Special Deliveries should be left in the trolley.

[Interested-seeker]

Where can I find out the exact policies from RM regarding meal relief allowances?

I'm seen posts on here copied and pasted from the 2000 agreement, are these still valid or have they been superseded, as there's a postie who has been on 32 hours for over 10 years who said his meal relief is 20 mins!!! And there's a postie of a year who also believes it's 20 mins for a 32 hours contract (and therefore claims) .


Is there info on the RM website, or a handbook for employees somewhere, which outline what we are entitled to as all I'm hearing is rumours about general policies like meal reliefs, and also RM's stance on carrying bags.

I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction as to where I can find this info as a returner to RM who may have missed some changes to conditions.

I was going to post this thread today, beat me to it!

I've never been told this information, it should be written in the contract that RM gives us.

[South_London_Postie]

I must say the CWU chap gave me a load of information with break times etc on my induction day many moons ago.

[nickbsmooth]

When I was on a 32hr contract I took 30mins break a day,well generally tacked on the back of the day.

[k979aaa]

When I was on a 32hr contract I took 30mins break a day,well generally tacked on the back of the day.

But RM can insist on half before you leave office but must tell you before hand.